Bug#1114740: systemd: please document the conflict between /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/legacy.conf and usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/debian.conf

[Richard Lewis]

package: systemd
version: 257.8-1~deb13u1
severity: wishlist

Thanks for maintaining systemd.

Every day systemd in trixie tells me that
/usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/legacy.conf and /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/debian.conf
have a duplicate line relating to /run/lock

can you improve the documentation to explain why this is needed ---
it's very confusing at the moment.

currently, legacy.conf says '# See tmpfiles.d(5) for details.' but
that man-page has no details about these files, i suppose that is
boiler-plate

it also says

# The functionality provided by these files and directories has been replaced
# by newer interfaces. Their use is discouraged on legacy-free systems. This
# configuration is provided to maintain backward compatibility.

but this seems incorrect given the permission is set differently in
the two files  -- this seems to be changing backwards compatibility?
how do i make my system "legacy-free"? should i delete or override one
of these files (which one? how? why is one of them not in /etc to help
that?)

i think you will get fewer bug reports if you help people understand
what is going on in their systems -- im sure there is a good reason
for all of this, but i don't think many people will understand what
that reason is from the information available.

(I also suggest this be explained in the NEWS.Debian and trixie release-notes)

happy to help with drafting of text if you could give a hint as to
what this is trying to do